Wringer



May l1,11937. w. KAUFFMN, 2D 2,080,318

WRINGER Filed July ll, 1252 V NTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE.

WRINGER Application July 1l, 1932, Serial No. 621,918

Claims.

With power wringers it is desirable to supply them with a safetyrelease. The principal purpose of the release is to relieve the pressureon the rolls` in the event that an operator has a f hand caught in therolls. Under these conditions the operator is more or less agitated andit is, therefore, desirable to make the releasing devices releasing thepressure on the rolls as responsive to action of the operator aspossible and at the same time sensitive. 'On the other hand, it is`necessary or desirable to have the re lease so located in normal runningthat it will not be ordinarily accidentally actuated. The presentinvention is designed to improve safety release devices of wringers,particularly to accomplish the desirable manner of operation abovesuggested. Features and details of the invention will appear from thespecification and claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing as follows:-

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of a wringer, partly in section.

Fig. 2 a bottom View of the release lever.

Fig. 3 a perspective View of a. latch.

Fig. 4 an elevation of the end of the top rail.

Fig. 5 an elevation of the releasing mechanism, partly in section.

Fig. 6` a section on the line 6 6 in Fig. 5,

I marks the base of the wringer frame, and 2 the side stiles. These sideStiles are ordinarily made of sheet metal and are box-shaped. 3 marksthe lower roll and 4 the upper roll. These are provided with roll shafts5 and 6 which operate in bearings 'I and 8. The inner wall of the stileis slotted to permit of `the extension of the shafts 5 and 6 into thestile and into position on the journal surfaces of the bearing blocks. A40 top rail IU is preferably channel shaped and extends over the top ofthe side stiles. A pressure spring II extends through the slots 9 andengages the upper ends of the upper bearing blocks 8. The spring isadjusted by a screw I2 arranged on the top bar.

A shoulder I2a is struck up in the outer face i of the upper end of thestile. `A lip I3 is struck out of the end of the top rail forming ashoulder I4 which engages the shoulder I2a. These shoulders form alocking engagement of this end of the top rail and form a hinge for theinitial movement of the top rail as the opposite end is released.

A releasing lever I5 has downwardly extending ilanges I6 which straddlethe end of the top rail.

These flanges have inturned lips II with pivot extensions I8, theextensions I8 extending through perforations I9 in the sides of the toprail. These perforations, it will be observed, are triangular in shape,the pivot being formed at the apex of the triangle toward the center ofthe bar and the flaring opening permitting a limited pivotal movement ofthe pivot extension I8 in this perforation, the perforation forming astop limiting the ultimate movement. A latch member 2Q is U-shapedhaving plates at each side of the wringer, these plates being connectedby a cross plate 2|. The side plates have perforations. 22 through whichpivot lugs 23 struck up in the sides of the side Stiles extend. Hereagain the opening is triangular shaped and the lugs operate on one ofthe apexes of the triangle, the aring of the opposite side permittingthe desired amount of movement and forming a stop limiting the ultimatemovement. The latch plates have catch surfaces 24 which are adapted to'engage the lips, or catch-engaging surfaces I'I of the lever I5. Itwill be noted that the portion of the lip II engaged by the catchsurfaces 24 is practically at right angles to a 2 radial line from thepivot so that normally there is no tendency for the latch to unhook.

In order to prevent the accidental release, that is, a release Withoutthe operation of the lever I5 a locking shoulder 25 is provided on theside plates 20 of the catch member and this shoulder engages the outeredge of the lip Il and thus prevents a releasing movement of the catchmember 20 so long as the lever I5 is in its normal position.

vA spring 26 engages the top of the top rail and the underside of thelever and is held in place by a shoulder 2l struck up in the top railand the head of a rivet 21a on the lever.

A handle 28 is secured by the rivet 21m to the lever. On a downwardmovement the handle is practically rigid. so far as movement relativelyto the lever is concerned, but the handle 28 is free toy swing towardthe front, or back, on the pivot 21a. The handle 28 is channel-shapedand has the downwardly extending ilange 29 at its outer end. This angehas a double cam 30 formed on its outer face. This cam engages ashoulder 3| struck up in the top bar.

With the parts in locked position, as shown in Fig. 5, should the leverhandle 28 be depressed, the lip I'I is lifted releasing the shoulder 25and at the same time the surface engaged by the hook 24 is inclined sothat the hook slips off this surface and releases the top rail. The toprail under the pressure of the spring swings upwardly on the pivotformed by the shoulders ifi and Iza. Should the operator strike thehandle 28 so as to force it sidewise, either front or back, the cam 30acting on the shoulder 3l forces the upper part of the lever I5 towardthe right on the pivot I8 and this raises the lip Il and operates therelease in the same manner as when the lever is directly struckdownwardly. Under normal conditions the double cam 30 yieldingly holdsthe handle in its direct central position.

It will be noted that with this structure, if the operator strikes thehandle 28 downwardly, or forwardly, or pulls it, it will result in arelease. On the other hand, the structure is securely locked gainstaccidental release. The surfaces of the latch mechanism while stable innormal position present very little resistance to a tilting movement inas much as these surfaces are practically at the pivot of the lever sothat as soon as the surface of the lip Il is tilted slightly the hookslides oif the lip and completes the release. This makes a verysensitive releasing mechanism requiring very little force to start therelease, the completion of the release being effected by the force ofthe spring itself.

What I claim as new. isz- 1. In a wringer, the combination of a frame;rolls mounted in the frame; pressure mechanism for the rolls; a safetyrelease device releasing pressure on the rolls; a lever operating therelease device; and a handle connected with the lever, the connectionbeing rigid with and actuating the lever directly under thrust in onedirection and movable relatively to the lever under thrust in adifferent direction and actuating the lever through said relativemovement.

2. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; rolls mounted in the frame;pressure mechanism for the rolls; a safety release device releasingpressure on the rolls; a lever operating the release device; and ahandle pivoted and secured on the lever and actuating the lever by amovement in a plane intersecting the axis of the lever and actuating thelever through relative movement when swung on its pivot.

3. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; rolls mounted in the frame;pressure mechanism for the rolls; a safety release device releasingpressure on the rolls; a lever operating the release device; a handlepivoted and secured on the lever and actuating the lever by movement ina plane intersecting the axis of the lever; and means engaged by thehandle when swung on the lever and operating with the handle to actuatethe lever.

4. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; rolls mounted in the frame;pressure mechanism for the rolls; a safety release device releasingpressure on the rolls; a lever operating the release device; a handlepivoted and secured on the lever and Aactuating the` lever by a movementin a plane intersecting the axis of the lever, said handle having a cammovable as the handle is swung on its pivot; and means engaging the camand cooperating with the handle to move the lever when the handle isswung on its pivot.

5. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; rolls mounted in the frame;pressure mechanism for the rolls; a safety release device releasingpressure on the rolls; a lever operating the release device; a handlepivoted and secured on the lever, and said handle having a downwardlyextending flange with a double cam in its end, said handle being adaptedto swing the lever by thrust in a plane intersecting the axis of thelever; and means engaging the cam as the handle is swung to actuate thelever.

6. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; rolls mounted in the frame;a top bar; pressure mechanism for the rolls operating from the top har;a safety release device involving a releasing connection between the topbar and the frame; a catch pivoted to the frame having hooks; a releaselever pivoted on the top bar and having engaging surfaces engaging thehooks; and a handle pivotally mounted on the lever and extending fromthe top bar, the operation of the lever tilting the engaging surface torelease the hook.

7. In a Wringer, the combination of a frame; rolls mounted in the frame;a top bar; pressure mechanism for the rolls operating from the tcp bar;a safety release device involving a releasing connection between the topbar and the frame; a f

catch pivoted to the frame having hooks; a release lever pivoted on thetop bar and having engaging surfaces engaging the hooks; a handlepivotally mounted on the lever and extending over the top bar, theoperation of the lever tilting the engaging surface to release the hook;and interlocking means between the catch and the lever preventing therelease of the hook.

8. In a wringer, the combination of a frame;

rolls mounted in the frame; a top bar; pressure mechanism for the rollsoperating from the top bar; a safety release device involving areleasing connection between the top bar and the frame; a catch pivotedto the frame having hooks; a release lever pivoted on the top bar andhaving engaging surfaces engaging the hooks, the operation of the levertilting the engaging surface to release the hook; and a locking deviceactuated by the lever normally locking the catch against accidentaldisengagement.

9. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; rolls mounted in the frame;a top bar; pressure mechanism for the rolls operating from the top bar;a safety release device involving a release connection between the topbar and the frame; a catch pivoted to the frame having hooks; and arelease lever pivoted on the top bar and having downwardly extendinganges with an inturned lip having a pivot extension on the inturned lipand an engaging surface for the hook, said engaging surface beingtiltable to release the hook and a 'shoulder on the catch engaging theinturned lip to lock the hook against accidental disengagement.

li). In a wringer, the combination of a frame; rolls mounted in theframe; pressure mechanism for the rolls; a safety release devicereleasing pressure on the rolls; a swinging latch member; a swingingcatch member, said catch and latch members having engaging surfacestiltable relatively to each other to effect the release; and a lockingdevice normally locking one of said members against disengagingmovement.

WALTER L. KAUFFMAN, II.

